Avionics power management panel and door assembly

ABSTRACT

An avionics power management panel and door assembly where the panel includes a cabinet including a set of walls at least partially defining an interior with an open face and door assembly includes a central panel a front panel that includes a set of rows with apertures formed between two adjacent rows and where the set of rows have a crimped profile.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/877,412, filed Jan. 23, 2018, and which claimsthe benefit of GB Application No. 1702710.3, filed Feb. 20, 2017, bothof which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Contemporary aircrafts use avionics in order to control the variousequipment and operations for flying the aircraft. The avionics caninclude electronic components carried by a circuit board or connected tocircuit breakers. The circuit boards or circuit breakers can be storedin the avionics chassis, which performs several beneficial functions,some of which are: dissipating the heat generated by the avionics orelectronic components, and protecting the avionics from environmentalexposure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to an avionics powermanagement panel includes a cabinet including a set of walls at leastpartially defining an interior with an open face and at least one doorassembly moveably mounted to the cabinet and moveable between an openedposition, where the interior is accessible, and a closed position wherethe door assembly closes the open face and having a front panel thatincludes a set of rows with apertures formed between two adjacent rowsand where the set of rows have a crimped profile with a ridge extendingtowards a front surface of the door assembly wherein the door assemblyis configured to support circuit breakers, printed circuit boards, orelectrical relays.

In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a door assembly foran avionics power management panel including a central section thatincludes a set of rows with apertures formed between two adjacent rowsand where the set of rows have a crimped profile with a ridge extendingtowards a front surface of the door assembly, a frame at least partiallysurrounding the central section, and a printed circuit board mounted tothe door assembly.

In yet another aspect, the present disclosure relates to door assemblyfor an avionics power management panel includes a central panel a frontpanel that includes a set of rows with apertures formed between twoadjacent rows and where the set of rows have a crimped profile with aridge extending a length towards a front surface of the door assemblyand at least one plug in circuit breaker mounted within an aperture ofthe central panel and wherein the at least one plug in circuit breakeris contained within the length defined by the crimped profile.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aircraft having an avionics chassisin accordance with various aspects described herein.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary avionics chassis that canbe utilized in the aircraft of FIG. 1, in accordance with variousaspects described herein.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another exemplary avionics chassis thatcan be utilized in the aircraft of FIG. 1, in accordance with variousaspects described herein.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a door assembly that can be utilizedwith an avionics chassis including those of FIGS. 2 and 3 in accordancewith various aspects described herein.

FIG. 5A is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary frame for thedoor assembly of FIG. 4.

FIG. 5B is a perspective view of an exemplary front panel for the doorassembly of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the door assembly of FIG.4.

FIG. 7 is a cut perspective view of a portion of the frame shown in FIG.6.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the door assembly of FIG. 4 with circuitbreakers and printed circuit boards mounted thereto.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the door assembly of FIG. 4 with aprinted circuit board attached and shown in dashed line.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the door assembly of FIG. 4 withcircuit breakers mounted thereto.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the door assembly ofFIG. 10 taken along section XI-XI.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the door assembly of FIG. 10 with acover plate exploded therefrom.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

On aircraft the electrical power distribution system services variousconsumer loads around the aircraft. Power management panels are used toroute power from the electrical power source to the electrical loads. Onmodern aircraft the increased number of services demands an increase inthe number of components and circuits. The increase in requiredcomponents and circuits leads to increased wiring for the specificloads, thereby increasing both cost and weight. As such, powermanagement panels can be relatively large, weighing up to 150 lbs, forwhich the strength to weight characteristics of the assemblies is acritical aspect in the performance of the electrical system within thedemanding environment. Aspects of the disclosure describe a beneficialdoor assembly.

While “a set of” various elements will be described, it will beunderstood that “a set” can include any number of the respectiveelements, including only one element. Additionally, all directionalreferences (e.g., radial, axial, upper, lower, upward, downward, left,right, lateral, front, back, top, bottom, above, below, vertical,horizontal, clockwise, counterclockwise) are only used foridentification purposes to aid the reader's understanding of thedisclosure, and do not create limitations, particularly as to theposition, orientation, or use thereof. Connection references (e.g.,attached, coupled, connected, and joined) are to be construed broadlyand can include intermediate members between a collection of elementsand relative movement between elements unless otherwise indicated. Assuch, connection references do not necessarily infer that two elementsare directly connected and in fixed relation to each other. Theexemplary drawings are for purposes of illustration only and thedimensions, positions, order, and relative sizes reflected in thedrawings attached hereto can vary.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an aircraft 10 with an on-boardavionics chassis assembly 12 (shown in dashed line), which can include apower management panel. The avionics chassis assembly 12 can house avariety of avionics elements and protect them against contaminants,vibrations, and the like and aids in dissipating the heat generated bythe avionics or electronic components. It will be understood that theavionics chassis assembly 12 can be located anywhere within the aircraft10, not just the nose as illustrated. For example, there can be anynumber of power management panels distributing power around the aircraft10. While illustrated in a commercial airliner, the avionics chassisassembly 12 can be used in any type of aircraft, for example, withoutlimitation, fixed-wing, rotating-wing, rocket, commercial aircraft,personal aircraft, and military aircraft. Furthermore, aspects of thedisclosure are not limited only to aircraft aspects, and can be includedin other mobile and stationary configurations. Non-limiting examplemobile configurations can include ground-based, water-based, oradditional air-based vehicles. Any implementation has its own spaceconstraints and power requirements. As such, the design of theparticular aspects of the avionics chassis assembly 12 as describedherein can be tailored to suit specific installation requirements of theimplementation.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary power management panel assembly 20 witha single door assembly 22 that can be utilized in the aircraft 10 ofFIG. 1. The power management panel assembly 20 includes a cabinet orhousing 24 including a set of walls 26 at least partially defining aninterior 28 with an open face 30. A set of mounting feet 32 can extendfrom the housing 24 to facilitate mounting the housing 24 to theaircraft 10 by means of bolts or other conventional fasteners. Further,the mounting feet 32, can function as an electrical ground to ground thehousing 24 to the frame of the aircraft 10. While mounting feet 32 areshown in this example, the power management panel assembly 20 can beused with many types of attachment mechanism.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another exemplary power management panelassembly 20 a. The power management panel assembly 20 a of FIG. 3 can besubstantially similar to the power management panel assembly 20 of FIG.2. As such, the same numerals will be used to described equivalentelements and the discussion will be limited to differences between thepower management panel assemblies. The main difference between the powermanagement panel assemblies 20, 20 a is that the power management panelassembly 20 a of FIG. 3 includes two door assemblies 22. In theillustrated example, the door assemblies 22 include a right hand andleft hand hinged door assemblies 22. The door assembly 22 includes acommon design with the parts being handed for a left or right hingelocation.

Regardless of the specifics of the housing 24 for the power managementpanel assembly 20, 20 a, the door assembly 22 can include a frame 40 anda center section, center panel, or front panel 42 as illustrated in FIG.4. The door assembly 22 can be moveably mounted to the housing 24. Forexample, a set of hinges 43 can be included on the door assembly 22 suchthat the door assembly 22 is pivotably mounted to the housing 24 of FIG.2 or 3. The door assembly 22 is moveable between an opened position,where the interior 28 of the power management panel assembly 20, 20 a isaccessible, and a closed position where the door assembly 22 closes theopen face 30 and the interior 28 of the power management panel assembly20, 20 a is inaccessible.

FIG. 5A is an exploded view showing the frame 40 including opposing sidesections including a first side section 44 and a second side section 46,a top section 48, and a bottom section 50. It is contemplated that theframe 40 can be formed in any suitable manner including that each of thesections 44, 46, 48, and 50 forming the frame 40 can have a commonextrusion profile as described in the concurrently-filed, commonly-ownedGB Patent Application Serial No. 1702710.3, filed Feb. 20, 2017,entitled “Avionics power management panel and door assembly,” bearingApplicant's docket number 315400, which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety. In the illustrated example, the frame 40 hasbeen illustrated as stamped aluminum pieces, which can be formed bybending, that can be fastened together in any suitable manner. In theillustrated example, the sections 44, 46, 48, and 50 are secured byfastening the sections 44, 46, 48, and 50 together at the corners viafasteners such as screws or rivets.

FIG. 5B illustrates an enlarged view of the front panel 42 without thesections 44, 46, 48, and 50. A set of rows 54 is included in the centerportion forming the front panel 42. In the illustrated example, the setof rows 54 are defined by a crimped profile 55 that includes a ridge 56.As illustrated in FIG. 6, the ridge 56 can extend a length (L) towards afront surface 58 of the door assembly 22. The ridge 56 does not extendpast the frame 40 when the front panel 42 is located within the frame40, otherwise the elongated ridge 56 can impact the footprint of thedoor and the overall size of the panel assembly. It will be understoodthat the ridge 56 could alternatively extend beyond the frame 40 orextend to a lesser length L than illustrated.

Apertures 60 are located between two adjacent rows 54. The apertures 60can be formed in any suitable size or shape and are illustrated as beingable to accommodate any combination of circuit breakers, printed circuitboards, and electrical relays in non-limiting examples.

While the front panel 42 can be formed in any suitable manner, it iscontemplated that the front panel 42 can be formed from a sheet ofaluminum, that the crimped profile 55 can be formed in the aluminumsheet, and that the apertures 60 can be formed by stamping out portionsof the aluminum sheet.

Referring to FIG. 7, showing a portion of the center section of thefront panel 42 of FIG. 4, the crimped profile 55 can be considered asaw-tooth profile that is repeated across each row 54 of the front panel42. The ridge 56 is v-shaped having a rounded end 62. The v-shaped ridge56 terminates in a flat panel portion 64, opposite of the rounded end62, that extends between adjacent rows 54 and in which the aperture 60is formed. The ridge 56 further includes a downwardly angled uppersurface 66 extending between the rounded end 62 and the flat panelportions 64. The downwardly angled upper surfaces 66 allow for moistureto run off of the ridges 56 and prevents collection of fluids along thefront panel 42 that can otherwise have an adverse effect on theoperation of the electrical components mounted to the door assembly 22or the electronics chassis 12.

It is contemplated that the front panel 42 can be formed to span atleast one of a length or a width of the frame 40 and can be mounted tothe frame 40 in any suitable manner. Referring to FIG. 8, the frontpanel 42 positions into the frame 40 as and the sections 44, 46, 48, and50 of the frame 40 can secure together via fasteners (not shown). Aprinted circuit board 74 having additional components (not shown) ismounted to a rear-side surface 75 of the frame 40. The printed circuitboard 74 can be mounted to the frame 40 in any suitable manner includingvia any suitable set of fasteners. A set of plug-in circuit breakers 76can mount to a front side 77 of the front panel 42 and passing throughthe aperture 60. The set of plug in circuit breakers 76 are press fitinto sockets 78 within the printed circuit board 74. Once assembled, itis contemplated that the door assembly 22 as described herein cansupport weight in excess of 11.34 kg (25 lbs). During operation of theaircraft, the door assembly 22 could see mechanical vibrations imposinga magnification factor of ten times such a weight.

It will be understood that the door assembly 22 along with the printedcircuit board(s) 74 are configurable to support a myriad of alternativecombinations of electronics components. Additionally, as illustrated inFIG. 9, the printed circuit board 74, shown in dashed line, can bedesigned to cover and number of rows of the door assembly 22. Theexternal edges of the printed circuit board 74 are supported by andfastened to the rear surface 75 of the frame 40. Further, a set ofpillar spacers 80 can be included in the door assembly 22 to support theprinted circuit board(s) 74. Referring now to FIG. 10, a set of plates90 (FIG. 11) that are coupled to the front panel 42 position behind afront face 82 of a circuit breaker 84. The front face 82 is mountedbetween two adjacent rows 54. In this manner, the front face 82 isbraced against the rows 54. The front faces 82 can be secured to therows 54 in any suitable manner, such as mounting with fasteners, in onenon-limiting example. The pillar 80 (FIG. 9) can be suspended from thefront faces 82 and allows the pillar 80 to support the printed circuitboard 74 adjacent a corresponding aperture 60 as shown in FIG. 9.

Still referring to FIG. 10, the circuit breakers 84 include a protrusion86 mounted to the door assembly 22. The downwardly-angled upper surface66 (FIG. 7) is configured for labelling or indicia 88. The indicia 88can be specific to each door 22 configuration and can be located on eachof the rows 54 along the height or width of the door assembly 22.

While only a single circuit board 74 has been shown in the illustrativeexamples, it will be understood that the door assembly 22 can supportany combination of circuit breakers 84, printed circuit boards 74,electrical relays, or similar electrical components. In one particularexample, five printed circuit boards 74 can mount to the door assembly22.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrates a set of circuit breakers84 extending through the aperture 60 and can secure to the flat panelportion 64 of the front panel 42 via fasteners 91. A cover plate 90 cancover the front faces 82 of the circuit breakers 84 (FIG. 10). The coverplate 90 is multi-functional as it ties together the ridge 56 to preventcollapsing and adds additional strength to the frame 40 (FIG. 4).Additionally, the plates 90 provides for a mounting position for thesupport pillars 80 (FIG. 9). In the view shown, the wired circuitbreakers 84 fit to the plate 90 and secure to the flat panel portion 64by the fasteners 91. The ridges 56 of the front panel 42 providephysical protection for the set of circuit breakers 84. Morespecifically, protrusions 86 extending from the set of circuit breakers84 are contained within the length (L) of the ridges 56 of the frontpanel 42. Regardless of whether the circuit breakers are active and ortripped state, the circuit breakers 84 are physically protected.Furthermore, the ridges 56 can minimize or prevent unwanted tripping ofthe circuit breakers 84.

FIG. 12 illustrates the cover plate 90 with a set of openings 92 can bemounted to the front surface 58 of the door assembly 22. The cover plate90 is configured to retain the at least one plug in circuit breaker 84during operation. The cover plate 90 also aids in frustrating foreigndebris from entering the housing 24. It will be understood that thecover plate 90 can have any suitable arrangement including, but notlimited to, that the cover plate 90 inserts between two rows 54.

With the continual upgrading of aircrafts, there is a requirement for anincrease in the number of components fitted into the exemplary powermanagement panel assembly 20, 20 a. The aspects of the presentdisclosure allow for a number of additional electrical components to besupported on the door assembly 22. Such components would have previouslybeen mounted onto the internal panel walls of power management panelassembly 20, 20 a, interconnecting via wiring looms as required. Theaspects of the present disclosure allow for mounting electricalcomponents onto the door assembly 22 with printed circuit boards 74 usedto provide the electrical interface, thus removing the need for thewiring looms. The door assembly 22 design and component interconnectionarrangement increases the functionality of the avionics chassisassembly. For example the doors 22 provide structural, configurable, andmaintainable support. The ability to locate a number of electricalassemblies onto the door 22 closer to the electrical loads beingserviced leads to a reduction of interconnect wire lengths and,ultimately, weight.

The door assembly 22 provides an enhanced means of thermal dissipationconducted through the printed circuit boards 74 into the frame 40.Further, the crimped profile 55 of the front panel 42 increases thesurface area of the door assembly 22 as compared to an uncrimpedprofile. The increased surface area benefits the thermal exchangebetween the components attached to the door assembly 22 and heat lossthrough radiation or convection to the surrounding environment. Suchthermal improvements are important for dealing with increased powerdensities allowing safe operation within the environment.

Further still, the door assembly 22 is low cost and has a low partcount. The above described door assembly 22 further provides quick andeasy access to internal and external elements of panel assembly 20, 20a, as well as environmental protection for internal parts. The doorassembly 22 also provides structural and thermal advantages with aminimal number of components and assembly functions.

The door assembly 22 of the power management panel 20, 20 a supportsadditional electrical components allowing for a compact system of highdensity of interfaces within a specified volume. A plug-in technologyfor circuit breaker 76 and interconnecting relays can be used, whichimproves both power to volume and power to weight ratios for a givenpower management panel 20, 20 a. Aspects of the present disclosure allowfor a variety of benefits including but not limited to allowing forquick and easy access to the internal and external elements of the powermanagement panel assembly for maintenance purposes. Aspects of thepresent disclosure also provide for protection for exposed circuitbreaker protrusions 86, and provide area for indicia 88 identifying eachcircuit breaker 84 during operation. Furthermore, the ridges 56 protectthe electric components from environment aspects such as moistureingress.

To the extent not already described, the different features andstructures of the various aspects can be used in combination with othersas desired. That one feature cannot be illustrated in all of the aspectsis not meant to be construed that it cannot be, but is done for brevityof description. Thus, the various features of the different aspects canbe mixed and matched as desired to form new aspects, whether or not thenew aspects are expressly described. Combinations or permutations offeatures described herein are covered by this disclosure.

This written description uses examples to disclose aspects of theinvention, including the best mode, and also to enable any personskilled in the art to practice aspects of the invention, includingmaking and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporatedmethods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims,and can include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art.Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims ifthey have structural elements that do not differ from the literallanguage of the claims, or if they include equivalent structuralelements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages ofthe claims.

1. A power management panel, comprising: an avionics power managementcabinet comprising a set of walls at least partially defining aninterior with an open face; and at least one door assembly configured tomount electrical components for the power management panel, moveablymounted to the avionics power management cabinet and moveable between anopened position, where the interior is accessible, and a closed positionwhere the door assembly closes the open face; wherein the door assemblyis configured to support one or more of circuit breakers, printedcircuit boards, or electrical relays.
 2. The power management panel ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one door assembly includes a front panelwith a set of rows, with each row having a crimped profile with a ridgeextending towards a front surface of the door assembly, and wherein theridge has an angled upper surface.
 3. The power management panel ofclaim 1, further comprising the printed circuit board mounted to thedoor assembly.
 4. The power management panel of claim 3, furthercomprising a frame at least partially surrounding a front panel of thedoor and wherein the frame is moveably mounted to the avionics powermanagement cabinet.
 5. The power management panel of claim 4, whereinthe printed circuit board is mounted to a rear surface of the frame. 6.The power management panel of claim 1, wherein the frame includes afirst side section, a second side section, a top section, and a bottomsection where the first side section, second side section, top section,and bottom section include a common extrusion profile.
 7. The powermanagement panel of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board extendsover two or more rows on a front panel of the at least one doorassembly.
 8. The power management panel of claim 7, further comprising aset of pillar spacers coupled to the front panel and configured tosupport the printed circuit board.
 9. The power management panel ofclaim 8, further comprising a plate mounted between two adjacent rowsand wherein one pillar spacer of the set of pillar spacers is suspendedfrom the plate adjacent a corresponding aperture.
 10. The powermanagement panel of claim 1, wherein a front panel of the door assemblyincludes aluminum that is 1 mm thick.
 11. The power management panel ofclaim 10, wherein the door assembly is configured to support a weight inexcess of 11.34 kg.
 12. A door assembly, comprising: a central sectionthat includes a set of rows; a frame at least partially surrounding thecentral section; and a printed circuit board mounted to a rear surfaceof the frame of the door assembly and wherein the printed circuit boardextends over two or more rows.
 13. The door assembly of claim 12,wherein the printed circuit board is mounted to a rear surface of theframe.
 14. The door assembly of claim 13, wherein the printed circuitboard extends over the two or more rows.
 15. The door assembly of claim14, further comprising a set of pillar spacers coupled to the centralsection and configured to support the printed circuit board.
 16. Thedoor assembly of claim 15, further comprising a plate mounted betweentwo adjacent rows and wherein one pillar spacer of the set of pillarspacers is suspended from the plate adjacent a corresponding aperture.17. The door assembly of claim 12, further comprising a set of plug-incircuit breakers mounted from a front of the central section and passingthrough one aperture and wherein the set of plug-in circuit breakers arepress fit into sockets within the printed circuit board.
 18. The doorassembly of claim 12, wherein the frame includes a first side section, asecond side section, a top section, and a bottom section where the firstside section, second side section, top section, and bottom sectioninclude a common extrusion profile.
 19. A door assembly, comprising: acenter section that includes a set of rows; at least one plug-in circuitbreaker; and a cover plate with at least one opening configured toretain the at least one plug-in circuit breaker during operation. 20.The door assembly of claim 19, wherein the set of rows includes acrimped profile with a ridge extending towards a front surface of thedoor assembly.